Filed under: Community, DIY, Love, faith | Tags: church, eastside, Indianapolis, Indy Metro, Jesus, service
As we discussed from the beginning at Indy Metro and during the 40 Days of Prayer specifically, we’ve always been a church for the whole city. Both during our 40 Days of Prayer as a pastoral team and reviewing the many responses we received from the Indy Metro community, it became clear that we are to move forward increasing our commitment to Indy’s eastside.
With great passion and a shared burden by many we are moving forward in faith! The pastoral leadership has begun to make plans towards increasing our emphasis on Indy’s east side initially focused on Community Heights, Emerson Heights, Little Flower, and Irvington.
We want to answer the very basic questions of how we currently are planning to move forward. How will Indy Metro move to expand our presence on the eastside?
The east side needs to see the church in action through SMALL acts of service with a LARGE amount of love! The people of Indy Metro committing to specific acts of service together to be visible servants of the east side’s multi-generational multi-ethnic community. Beginning January 2010, through engaging local artists, serving families and marginalized residents we will serve together as a church. We encourage everyone at Indy Metro, whether residents of the eastside or not, to consider being involved in some form. For our friends online, I certainly hope you will begin to follow us and consider how to support as well.
Establishing a Sunday evening weekly public gathering by Easter, April 4th, 2010 will be a critical component of expanding our presence on the east side. Our first Sunday evening gathering will be Sunday, January 10th with location to be determined. Initially, we will be focused on simply building our relationships together as a CityGroup through learning, playing, and serving together on the eastside.
For people who want to be involved on the eastside with Indy Metro what is your next step?
- Cultivate your spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and meditating on Scripture. Our commitment to corporate prayer and fasting must continue as a house of prayer of the Lord. Please begin to pray for clarity on how to serve, seeking a potential weekly gathering, identifying the needed resources to prepare the way and provide the needed discipling for the team, and for the Lord to cultivate the hearts of people far from Him to be open to the Gospel.
- Identify yourself to the pastoral leadership before the end of the year. No secret servants, but instead we are establishing the initial team to prepare together. Our desire is to identify 20-25 people who will focus to Indy Metro’s eastside presence in January 2010. If you’re genuinely committed to the east side movement and want to be an intricate part of it please let me know directly. Contact me at aaron@indymetro.org to confirm your commitment or share questions you may have still as we move forward.
Regardless of your own personal involvement, perhaps you know a small business owner, resident, or someone with roots in or near the eastside communities we’re focused on who doesn’t have a church family already. Pray and consider how you might make people aware of Indy Metro’s eastside commitment in January 2010.
If you are passionate about this movement I invite you’re responsive posts. What are your thoughts?
Filed under: Community, Love, arts, faith | Tags: art, Guatemala, Indianapolis, Indy Metro
This past August, I and 10 others made the first trip for Indy Metro Church from Indianapolis to Magdelana, Guatemala. What birthed out of this exploratory trip was a 3 year commitment of Indy Metro Church to the people of this village.
One of the exciting partnerships I am personally most excited about is our commitment to a local small art school in the village which currently has 18 students for 2 hours a day. Carlos Lopez, the director of the school, started it 3 years ago to bring hope to the community and teach children the arts. In his own words he, “has been praying for God to send resources to expand.” It was humbling for me to realize such a great opportunity for our church.
As a church committed to the arts community here in Indianapolis, we believe this is a natural extension for Indy Metro. On the first trip was local Indianapolis artist and friend, Casey Jo Allies. From the paintings we returned with from the children in the art school and Casey Jo’s own photography, she pulled together the Five Days in Guatemala display in October.
Five Days in Guatemala is an extraordinary art exhibition of her journey. Casey Jo will not only be showing her photographs from the trip, but also 35 paintings created by the local children. Each painting sold will go back to help support the education and families in this village. Casey Jo’s work can also be seen this month at the Garfield Park Art Center, where she won the best in show award for the Midwest National Abstract Art Exhibition.
Although you may have missed the open house on First Friday, October 2nd, the works remain for the entire month in the ArtSpace at the Athenaeum on 401 East Michigan. The images are very powerful and may prompt you to want to join us in one of our 4 planned trips in 2010!
Filed under: Love, faith | Tags: Christian, disciple, event, Indy Metro, Jesus, religion
Lately, I’ve been thinking more specifically about the lifestyle of following Jesus Christ I adhere to as a disciple, and the calling I’ve surrendered to in making disciples of Him. What is a disciple of Jesus Christ?
I’ve come to a simplified Scriptural understanding of a disciple: Someone that publically and privately lives according to the Great Commandment, while living out the Great Commission for God’s glory in everything they do (1 Corinthians 10:31), ALL in response to God’s mercy as the motive not guilt, works based Christianity or religion, etc (Romans 12:1-2).
Reflecting on this caused me to reflect over my journey. When I was hired into the full-time vocational ministry, I wasn’t personally discipling anyone consistently (nor had I ever), wasn’t living as a witness of Jesus Christ to anyone (word or deed) consistently, nor was I loving my neighbor (no matter how you defined who my neighbor was). And truth be told, in the little efforts I had put forth ended up “making disciples” of Aaron and not Jesus. And to think I was supposed to be a public example for other Christians of a disciple in a local church? OUCH!
Obviously, the Lord found use for me 
, but so much wasted time as I focused to run church programs and not building people first.
Understand, that answering this question about what is a disciple is truly the main thing in our Christian faith! Initially, being a Christian was an accusation based on a lifestyle so counter to culture and committed to modeling what Jesus Christ. We don’t see different levels of the Christian, a disciple of Christ, from the Scripture. There is one standard we are held to as people who publically proclaim ourselves as Christians. What we see in much of Christianity today is legalistic external lifestyle management or the “sin patrol,” religious people who call themselves Christians, or settling completely for less and simply “going to church.”
At Indy Metro Church, we are seeking to redefine what the “the norm” of what both the church and the Christian (a disciple) are to be in our beautiful city. While Acts 2:42-47 describes what happens mostly inside the Christian community in broader public, Acts 11:19-30 describes best what should be happening publically, corporately, outwardly. Both texts provide a great contrast for our modern understanding of what we see being a disciple is around us. Hard swallow to see that as “the norm” based on what we see a disciple to be.
So my encouragement for you is to consider, if you call yourselves a Christian, does your lifestyle mirror His? Ask the hard questions. Are you a disciple of Christ or just attending some “religious” events? How will you know the difference? It is a journey. God’s grace has covered my journey, administered through many people over the years.
Filed under: Love, faith | Tags: Jesus Christ, mercy, pain, rituals, suffering, the church
One of my most painful situations in my entire life started with a phone call 10 years ago. A phone call from my wife that our weekend plans had changed and we needed to head to the hospital immediately to see my father. Though I had no clue what was going on, because of the eerie nature of the ride I knew it was significant. When I arrived in the hospital room, father told me he had found out his kidneys and liver were shutting down. Just a couple months prior he passed a full medical scan yet 4 days later he passed away.
Like no other time in my life this spiritual journey I was on became very real. It took a radical change. Sure I did the church thing occasionally, believed there was a God, celebrated Easter & Christmas… but the whole thing changed for me with instant pain and suffering.
Almost instantly, I began searching for God’s purpose in my pain. Where was God in all this? Asking, “If you are real God, where are you at?” Like no other time in my life I needed to know if this was about rituals, buts in seats, yada yada yada. I needed to personally experience the Jesus Christ I had heard about but never truly believed in. I needed Him to enter into my pain. And I WAS INSTANTLY OPEN FOR A CHRIST FOLLOWER TO show me where the Lord is at in all this, to weep with me, to feel my pain, and to live the Truth around me like never before as the hands and feet of Jesus.
WE ALL FACE PAIN AT SOME POINTS IN OUR LIVES, AND MANY OF YOU WERE JUST LIKE ME AT SOME POINT IN YOUR SEARCH FOR GOD: And because of pain and suffering became open to the truth of who God is….and, like me, desperately needed to be a recipient of compassion and mercy, and justice over suffering.
It is with that in context a few weeks back I studied and shared some thoughts at Indy Metro Church about the story of Lazarus. I quickly realized how truly this wasn’t just a story of Jesus entering into the pain of his friends 2k years ago, but how this is my story too.
This Biblical story of Jesus entering into the pain of his dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. This is my story of how Jesus entered into my pain through the hands and feet of others. Read the whole story yourself, but below are a couple thoughts that stood out to me from the first few verses:
VS 1-3 & 5: It is abundantly clear that people very close to Jesus experience great pain. One of the greatest lies so many American Christians have been duped into believing is that to be close to Jesus removes you from pain and suffering.
VS 4- While God isn’t at the cause of suffering- WHEN WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING- WHETHER RICH OR POOR- IN OUR SUFFERING OR SOMEONE ELSE’S- THE OPPORTUNITY IS ALWAYS THERE- TO KNOW AND LOVE GOD MORE INTAMETLY.
As you read this story, what stands out to you? I’d love to hear it.
In response to a text like this, I encourage you to ask honest questions like: What pain has Jesus entered into throughout my life? Was it so clear to me it was Him? Where do I still need Jesus to enter in? How can I be used to enter into my neighbor’s pain?
The truth be told, sometimes all we can do is weep. For many of us “our Lazarus” wasn’t healed. We didn’t get the outcome we desired so we are left to search. God has shown and continues to show me the purposes for my pain over the years. My hope is for you to be able to share the same.
Filed under: Love
So after months of anticipation… tadaa or whala or shazam: Amelia Jean Story.
Nothing like a little scrubbin
Filed under: Love, faith | Tags: compassion, Jesus, justice, mercy, poverty, rich
In the middle of the Social Justice series for Indy Metro, this past week I engaged the passage of Mark 10:17-31. Actually this story about Jesus and a good outwardly moral, religious person engaged me first. I couldn’t seem to avoid it over the past month.
A couple of the takeaways for me from this man’s encounter with Jesus we’re:
Those so often Christian acts of justice and compassion end up modeling for the poor and marginalized a consumer lifestyle that happiness is in our possessions and stuff. “You don’t have this stuff, and you need this stuff to be happy. We have this and you don’t.” Often we end up perpetuating this attitude that TO BE ACCEPTED you must have these consumer goods, live in this neighborhood, and go to dinner at these places….
As Rich Christians (yeah, pretty much anyone reading this professing Christ as Lord), a great injustice we have to correct together is telling (through either actions or words) poor and marginalized people they’re entitled to live as we do because of Jesus, when Jesus shows us in this text we aren’t entitled to be living the way we do BECAUSE of Jesus.
And a warning that when you hear stuff these days like: “It’s your patriotic duty to spend in order to save the economy because America is a consumer based economy!” Consumerism is a religion in America that when we embrace says life is all about me…and following Christ daily is saying life is all about Him. As Christ followers we have to reject this so-called patriotic duty as Christians because the lifestyle of a Christian isn’t formed on the American economy but on Jesus Christ.
Perhaps, the most impactful observation for me from this encounter is Jesus reminding me that my arms can’t fully wrap around Him when I’m holding onto all “my” money and possessions.
May you allow this encounter to mess you up too…
Journeying through this season of lent, I discovered a reading today from Doug Steven of The Renewal Project I’ve felt sums up most of our lives.
“Our real problem is no longer the long list of sins we’ve committed. Our pressing problem is seperation, that we are distant from God and full of ourselves, that we are desperately insecure, demanding our way, overrun by fear, constantly in tension, not always a blessing to others. Jesus has intervened, taken on our sin, died our deserved death and offered us His abundant life. The greatest gift from the greatest gift, Himself.”
It’s hard to add to that. However, in reading the stark contrast described I am reminded of the passage John 10:9-10, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Filed under: Love, arts, faith | Tags: Indy, Jireh, skateboarding, support, theatre, worship
Really looking forward to an upcoming gathering at the historic Athenaeum on Thursday, February 26th at 7pm. A few of the opportunity seizers at Indy Metro Church are hosting a night of worship for Indianapolis!
Our lofty hope for the gathering is to create an atmosphere of worship, uniting the local body of Christ, while raising funds to generously support local non-profit organizations that compliment local Indy churches. Tix are only $10/each with all the profits going directly to Jireh Sports Inner City Skate Park! Jireh is an urban sports ministry working with the local skate community to develop an indoor/outdoor skate park in the city to be used to mentor urban youth.
I am stoked as we will be blessed with not one but two worship leaders, Rick Stump and Josh Hoke to lead us in our evening of worship in the American Cabaret Theatre!
So much opportunity at hand for us a lovers of Jesus in the city. More to come later I’m sure!
Call it sappy if you want. However, when I think of Thanksgiving and reflect on what I have to be personally thankful for its certainly easy for Carrie and I to think of our family. God truly has been the giver of amazing gifts with the blessing of children!
We clearly have much to be thankful for!
Filed under: Love, Serve, faith | Tags: church, Jesus, passion, Trizle, yada
As a guy who has loved the marketplace and business since my teen years (I remember getting stoked high school with a bunch of “how to” start an effective small business), I enjoy learning and staying attuned to emerging marketplace culture. Clearly, with my current vocational calling, my days of hours immersed in Kudlow & Cramer, studying HBR monthly like each was the Gospel, and pondering the next personal business adventure are long passed.
However, I still enjoy a good blog or two like Fast Company and Trizle to fan the flames of entrepreneurship and cultural learning… I find most translates well into my roles as a pastoral leader type in the local church.
In a recent Trizle post, it capped with: “Build a company you want to have passionate sex with.”
Anything with that kind of passion usually captures my attention pretty quickly and gets me thinking. No, not talking just about the sex part too.
And this little ditty resonates well and I believe translates for me as a lover of the local church. Who wants to be part of a church that doesn’t elicit a passionate response of involvement?
A great fear of mine is “playing church.” I mean doing some religious rituals and cloaking it with Jesus. I mean giving my life to a church that turns into an institution…stale, boring, and predictable. Practically, not only my disgust for this, but my own fear of it. It’s a fear of mine to become one and it’s a fear of mine to pastor a church that ends up churning out people to become this. I’ve seen and met many people over the years that are “products” of these types of churches. Seemingly the anti-Jesus of the Gospels.
Why fear? Jesus doesn’t speak to well about this in the Scriptures. Things like, your lips honor me but your hearts are far from me…. or words like I am about to spit you out of my mouth. What about churches that Jesus is so passionate about? That are full of Christ-followers passionate about Him and His Church?
Jesus desires His Bride the Church to be full of love, joy, and passion for Him. And shouldn’t we dream to be a part of and create churches that are full of passion, energy, and places that attract and inspire! Passionless churches almost always have passionless leaders. I desire to have a personal relationship with Jesus that is full of this type of passion and God willing be a part of churches that spill this type of passion!
More on that later I’m sure…
